 | Shanna Parrish-Taylor is the Director of Nursing at Vintage Place Assisted Living. She is a RN with 9 years long term care experience, experience in critical care as well as hospice setting. Shanna is currently working on her master’s degree towards obtaining her ANRP. For more information on Shanna or Vintage Place please call 620-231-4554.
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Senior Living
2013-03-01 14:54:31
How do I find the right assisted living facility?
A-You are very wise in asking if there is a way to match up your needs to the offerings of a particular facility. Facilities vary greatly from the style of administration to recreational and social offerings, and it is difficult to know all of the nuances without careful investigation.
Many people think that moving to an assisted living facility means having to change everything about your lifestyle from the foods they eat to social situations. This is not necessarily true when you match the facility's offerings and set-up to your own wants, needs, and expectations. However, doing this is difficult with only a cursory view of the rooms, social areas, and kitchen.
Understanding this, the Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living (CCAL), developed a checklist of questions that help you find out if a facility is a good match for you. CCAL is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to representing the needs of consumers in assisted living facilities and educating the public on assisted living issues.
Here are some questions they recommend you ask:
1. How often are activities scheduled? What types do they offer? Do they offer both onsite and off-site activities?
2. Can I walk the grounds? Are there enclosed and protected areas?
3. How do they meet spiritual or religious needs?
4. Do residents have a say in recreational offerings?
5. What times are meals served? What happens if you are late, miss or refuse a meal?
6. Can meals be delivered to the room, and is there an additional charge?
7. Are alternate meals available?
8. Are snacks available, and if so, when?
9. Does a dietitian review meals and special diets? If so, how often?
10. What safety measures are in place?
11. What if someone wants an exception to a rule?
12. Are background checks performed on all staff?
13. Are there alarms or locks on the windows?
14. Are there call bells in the rooms and bathrooms?
15. What are the reasons for a discharge? Is there a process of appeal? How many days notice would they provide?
These questions provide a great starting point in finding the perfect match. Hopefully the list will spark your own questions to help you in the search for a residence you would feel happy to call home.
